Shoeshine box



March 27, 1962 w, z. BET-rs ETAL SHOESHINE BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 3, 1961 FIG.7

ATTORNEY United States Patent Oce 3,026,556 Patented Mar. 27, 1962 3,026,556 SHOESHINE BOX Wilmer Z. Betts, 116 Hillcrest Road, and Brevard O. Betts, 1424 Canterbury Road, both of Raleigh, N.C. Filed Jan. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 80,302 7 Claims. (Cl. 15-265) This invention relates to the personal grooming of an individual including the shining of the shoes and to apparatus or equipment by which the shoes can be shined and kept shined.

The invention relates particularly to a portable shoeshine box which can be used in the home, oflice or elsewhere by one desiring to keep his shoes shined or it can be used by a shoeshine boy, in barber shops, or other public places.

Shoeshine kits of various kinds have been produced and used for the shining of shoes without suliicient considerati-on having been given to simplicity, neatness, small cost, ready availability, and in which the polish materials were not readily accessible or available. With many of the devices the construction encouraged the spoiling of vthe floor or its covering by dissipation of the material applicable to the shoes thereonto, and onto other objects in the vicinity and resulting in unsightly smears and stains.

' It isan object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive shoeshine box, of a construction to contain the materials and equipment necessary for imparting a polish or shine to shoes, and in which the materials may be maintained in a closed box or container when not in use, and which box or container can be readily manipulated to expose the contents in a readily accessible position, and which container can be closed to conceal such equipment as soon as the polishing is completed or the box no longer needed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoeshine box including a container having an opening in one or more sides with a rotatable holder for polish, brushes, cloths, and other accessories or equipment, and normally maintained within the closed container but which readily can be exposed by the rotation of the holder of the materials.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoeshine box with a holder for polish, brushes, cloths, and other accessories used in the shining of shoes, which holder can be exposed readily Without the necessity of the removal of the contents, and in a minimum of time and with a minimum of eifort, and in which the holder can be returned to its original position within the container and the latter restored to its closed condition.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a shoeshine box having a rotary shelf with a pair of upright walls one relatively high and one relatively low with the high wall adapted to form a closure for the side of the container and the low wall adapted to aord access over the same to equip-ment'within the container and requiring only the rotation of the container a h-alf revolution to expo-se the contents of the container or toreturn it to its closed condition.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a Shoeshine box including a container with a rotary holder for shoeshine equipment, one siderof which is transparent, curved, and of low height to afford ready access over the same into the rotary holder and with shelf means in the container for holding certain of the accessories and with the shelf having slots to permit an article to be removed by the thumb and linger.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a persepctive illustrating one application of the invention;

FIG. 2, a vertical section on the line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3, a horizontal section on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, a view similar to FIG. 3 with the holder removed;

FIG. 5, a similar view at right angle to FIG. 3 with the holder removed;

FIG. 6, a perspective of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 7, a similar view with the accessory holder in a different position.

FIG. 8, an enlarged fragmentary detail of the section on line 8 8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9, an enlarged fragmentary detail of the section on the line 9 2 of FIG. 7.

Briey stated, the invention is a shoeshine box container, or a shoeshine kit which provides a stand or support on which a shoe to be shined can be placed or allowed to rest while it is being shined, the box also having a holder for accessories including polish, brushes, and polishing cloths. The box is generally rectangular and of a length to accommodate the foot thereon and it has a combination footr rest and handle with an inclined upper surface and a shoulder forming a stop for the heel of the shoe to engage, especially when the shoe is on the foot of a wearer. The box has an opening in which a rotaryclosure is rotatable about an upright pivot and with such closure affording access to the box when in one position and to close the box when a second position from the first, such holder serving to contain the accessories needed in the shining of shoes conveniently accessible for use without their having to be removed and spread about where they can readily be upset and spilled.

With continued reference to the drawings, in FIGS. 1-5 inclusive there is illustrated a shoeshine box or container 10 having a top wall 11, end walls 12 and 13, side walls 14 and 15, and a bottom wall 16.

Upon the top wail 11 is mounted a combination shoe rest and handle 17 preferably having an inclined upper surface 18, a shoulder 19 to form a stop or abutment against which the heel of the shoe may rest, and openings 20 on opposite sides to facilitate gripping and carrying of the box. The shoe rest and handle 17 may be integral with or attached to the top wall 11.

The sides 14 and 1S of the box are provided with openings 21 and 22 occupying the major portions of the sides .to afford access to the interior of the box accessories are adapted to be kept.

Within the box is a rotary holder 23 having a top 24, a central mounting post 25, and a shelf-forming bottom 26, with a central depending boss 27 extending into a central recess 28 in the bottom 16 of the box. The central portion of the bottom 12 has a raised collar 29 forming an additional antifriction bearing surface on which the shelf 26 is rotatably supported.

The top 24 and the bottom 26 of the holder are connected by relatively flat side Walls 30 and 31 of the size of and which additionally serve as closures or doors for the openings 21 and 22 when such side walls are in the same plane as the walls 14 and 15.

The top 24 of the holder is substantially of the same length and breadth and is spaced from the inner side of the top wall l1 sufficiently to accommodate relatively at cans of polish 32 (FIG. 3), the top 24 being provided with marginal ribs 33 and 34 to retain such cans thereon against accidental displacement. In order to facilitate removal of the cans the top 24 is provided with slots 35 to permit the can to be engaged by the linger and thumb on the tops and bottom of the same for ready removal. The top of the boss 25 is adapted to rest in a socket 11" on the underside of the top wall 11.

A shelf-forming bottom wall 26 has curved ends along the margin of which are curved upstanding retaining Walls 36 and 37 equi-distant from the center of the holder 23 and the posts 25 and 27, also the walls 36 and 37 are at a distance from the center slightly less than the distance from the center of the holder and the sides of the openings 21 and 22 so that the holder may be rotated to bring the ends of the bottom 26, with the retaining walls 36 and 37, into a position extending outwardly through `the openings 21 and 22.

It will be understood therefore that when the doorforming side walls 30 and 31 are in the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 that the box will be closed and when they are in the position of FIG. 5 parallel with the end walls 12 and 13 that access can be had over the retaining walls 36 and 37 to the interior of the box. A

If desired, receptacle containers 38 may be added, a pair of such being shown connected to the interior of the closure-forming wall 30, in which one or more receptacles 39 for polish or the like may be held.

Instead of the box of FIGS. 1-5, a box similar to that of FIGS. 6-9, inclusive, may be provided, such box 10' having a top wall 11', end walls 12' and 13', a rear wall 14', an open front 15' and a bottom 16', all correspond- `ing to the similar parts of the preceding figures, and with a combination shoe rest and handle 17 with an inclined top surface 18', a heel stop 19', and side sockets 20', by which the box can be gripped and transported.

The box of FIGS. 6-9 with its open front 15' only at one side of the same has a holder somewhat different than that of the preceding figures. Instead of the holder within the box being accessible from opposite sides as in the preceding gures it is only accessible through one side, the open side The holder is provided with a wall 40 `forming a closure for the open side 15', such wall being of a length and breadth to lill such opening between the sides 12' and 13' and the top Wall 11 and the bottom 16'.

A door or closure forming wall 40 has a laterallyex- Ltending hinge-forming block or projection attached to its rear central upper surface, and the top wall 11' has an opening 42 in which a pivot pin 43 is located and is received in an opening 44 in the block 41.

Beneath the center of the closure-forming wall 40 in alignment with the openings 44 depends a pin 45 from a horizontal shelf-forming bottom wall 46 so that the closure 40 may be rotated a half-circle or approximately 180 such rotation being limited by a magnetic stop 47.

The shelf forming bottom wall 46 is attached to the closure-forming wall 40 and has its outer marginal edge equidistant from the central axis defined by the pins 43 and 45, and which distance is the distance between such central axis and the ends of the closure member in order that the shelf 46 may be disposed substantially without ,the box or contained within the same. About the outer marginal edge of the shelf 46 is an upright retaining wall 48, the lower edge of which is attached to the shelf 46 and the ends of which are attached to the closure wall 40. Such retaining wall preferably is transparent in order that the contents of the holder or container thus provided may be readily seen, with light admitted through such transparent retaining wall. The structures of the several gures may be of clear or transparent plastic or other maerial, or if preferred transparency may be limited.

In order to provide a stop for the rotation of the holder a metal plate 47 may be attached to each of the tops 11 and 11 and a magnet 49 may be attached to one of the closure members 30 or 31 and a similar magnet attached to the closure member 40. The attraction of the metal plate by the magnet will maintain the parts in xed position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a simple, inexpensive and practical shoeshine box is provided which will permit ready access of its contents as they are needed and without the necessity of their having to be removed with danger of upsetting or spilling.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a hollow generally vrectangular box having top, bottom, side and end wall structure, said side Wall structure at one side of the box being mounted midway its length upon an upright axis and being rotatable about said axis approximately to expose each surface thereof, a holder for equipment mounted on said one of said side walls, said holder including shelving with a curved edge spaced from said axis, said shelf having a maximum width corresponding substantially to the width of the interior of the box whereby when said side upon an upright axis is rotated said shelf may be moved alternately between the interior and exterior of said box to conceal or expose respectively by a mere rotation of the side wall structure the contents of the box on said shelf, a combination rest and handle mounted on the top of said generally rectangular box, said rotatable side wall structure servfing to support the top wall and the combination rest and lhandle mounted thereon.

2. The structure of claim 1 including means for retaining the side wall structure mounted upon an upright axis in a'position that the holder carried by said side wall `structure will .be located in a fixed position within the box.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said last men- ,tioned means includes a magnet.

4. The structure of claim 1 having a shelf carried by saidside wall structure and above the shelving.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which said shelving is slotted to permit the gripping of the underside of an object supported thereon.

6. The structure of claim 1 in which said wall struc- -ture 4is provided on one side with multiple horizontal shelf members and upright compartment-defining wall structure.

7. The structure of claim l and multiple horizontal shelf members carried in vertically spaced relation to saidaxis and attached to said wall structure for performing a supporting Vfunction and with said wall structure mounted 0n said axis serving as closure means for said box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 442,690 Sickler Dec. 16, 1890 1,342,673 Hecht .Tune 8, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,253 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1937 

